The present invention relates generally to seats for mass transit vehicles such as buses, subway cars, commuter trains and the like, and more particularly to seats of this type which are cantilevered from a sidewall of the vehicle.
Transit vehicle seating is generally arranged with two seats in side-by-side relation located between a sidewall and a center aisle of the vehicle. For a number of reasons, it is desirable that the seats be cantilevered from the sidewall rather than being supported by legs or pedestals located beneath the seat and supported by the floor of the vehicle. For example, legs or pedestals interfere with cleaning of the floor of the vehicle, and they can impede movement of passengers along the aisle and into and out of the seats.
Conventional cantilevered seats for transit vehicles or the like are disclosed in Barecki U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,747,979 and 3,897,974. A conventional cantilevered seat, of the type disclosed in said Barecki patents, generally comprises a seat resting atop a cantilevered frame. The frame includes a pair of horizontally disposed frame members extending outwardly from the sidewall toward the center aisle of the vehicle, appropriate cross-frame members extending between the two horizontally extending members and a pair of brace members each extending from a lower portion of the vehicle sidewall upwardly and outwardly to an outer portion of a respective horizontally extending frame member. The brace members may be either diagonal or arcuate.
It is also conventional to hang a cover or housing on the cantilevered frame and to house within that cover accessories such as a blower motor and fan for air-conditioning or heating, a speaker for a public address system, a light for illuminating the vehicle floor, and electrical wiring used with such accessories. The cover performs no structural function but serves merely an aesthetic purpose to hide from view the wiring and accessories. The structural frame supports not only the seat but also the cover and accessories. Accordingly, the structural frame is relatively heavy and requires a number of components, all of which increase the cost and the complexity of manufacturing the cantilevered structure.